Audio

One of our Record Pool Ambassadors, the talented Dj Nick Bike has his own radio show called “World Famous Wednesdays” on SaveOnRadio.com. We will start posting new & past episodes that features music & his own special edits that’s featured on our record pool for your listening pleasure. DJs, if you like what you hear, go towww.beatjunkies.com & sign up!

It is an honor to have the legendary LA Hip Hop Radio personality, Mike Nardone return to the airwaves on Beat Junkie Radio. He returns to his roots by debuting his new show called “Essentials” on Beat Junkie Radio. If you’re not familiar with Mike Nardone, he was the first person to start up a college Hip Hop radio show in 1987 at KXLU (Loyola Marymount) in Los Angeles called “We Came From Beyond” as well as having a show on the defunct 92.3 The Beat called “Da Joint” with King Emz. Mike is the West Coast counterpart of the legendary NY Radio Duo, Stretch Armstrong & Bobbito Garcia. This particular episode, he has the legendary Divine Styler as a special guest! The audio is a 2 part link.

Essentials with Mike Nardone will NOW be airing every 2nd Saturdays of each month from 4-6pm on Beat Junkie Radio, exclusively on Dash. You can listen to Mike’s show by either downloading the FREE Dash Radio App from ITunes or Google Play or listen on the web: www.dashradio.com.

Broadcasting Live from Los Angeles 7-10PM PST
Every 2nd & 4th Tuesdays Of The Month
On The Beat Junkie Radio channel
Exclusively on Dash Radio.
Download the Dash Radio App for free or listen to us on the web: www.dashradio.com.

UPDATE! Due to Mixcloud‘s “Licensing Restrictions” in the US, we had to uploaded to Dropbox instead. You can either listen or download the audio by clicking on the link. Enjoy!

Broadcasting Live from Los Angeles 7-10PM PST
Every 2nd & 4th Tuesdays Of The Month
On The Beat Junkie Radio channel
Exclusively on Dash Radio.
Download the Dash Radio App for free or listen to us on the web: www.dashradio.com.

It is an honor to have the legendary LA Hip Hop Radio personality, Mike Nardone return to the airwaves on Beat Junkie Radio. He returns to his roots by debuting his new show called “Essentials” on Beat Junkie Radio. If you’re not familiar with Mike Nardone, he was the first person to start up a college Hip Hop radio show in 1987 at KXLU (Loyola Marymount) in Los Angeles called “We Came From Beyond” as well as having a show on the defunct 92.3 The Beat called “Da Joint” with King Emz. Mike is the West Coast counterpart of the legendary NY Radio Duo, Stretch Armstrong & Bobbito Garcia.

Essentials with Mike Nardone will NOW be airing every 2nd Saturdays of each month from 4-6pm on Beat Junkie Radio, exclusively on Dash. You can listen to Mike’s show by either downloading the FREE Dash Radio App from ITunes or Google Play or listen on the web: www.dashradio.com.

It is our pleasure and honor to welcome aboard OJ, Nikobeats, & Cazal Organism and their new show “Assorted Flavas” on Beat Junkie Radio!

“For the very first episode, us, the creators and hosts of Assorted Flavas are providing sounds for the entire show with 3 sets full of heat.Shout out to Rhettmatic for welcoming us to Beat Junkie Radio!We’re back the last Friday of November from 3-5pm PST with a couple special guests.Stay tuned!” – Assorted Flavas Crew

The one & only Cut Chemist has his own radio show called “A Stable Sound” on Dublab Radio. On this particular episode is a special one:

“My Bday and one year anniversary show recorded live from the Beat Junkie Institute Of Sound featuring a round robbin scratch session with some of the students and teachers. Also celebrating some of our favorite rap songs about DJs including the late great Jam Master Jay of Run DMC!” – Cut Chemist

It is an honor to have the legendary LA Hip Hop Radio personality, Mike Nardone return to the airwaves on Beat Junkie Radio. He returns to his roots by debuting his new show called “Essentials” on Beat Junkie Radio. If you’re not familiar with Mike Nardone, he was the first person to start up a college Hip Hop radio show in 1987 at KXLU (Loyola Marymount) in Los Angeles called “We Came From Beyond” as well as having a show on the defunct 92.3 The Beat called “Da Joint” with King Emz. Mike is the West Coast counterpart of the legendary NY Radio Duo, Stretch Armstrong & Bobbito Garcia.

Essentials with Mike Nardone will NOW be airing every 2nd Saturdays of each month from 4-6pm on Beat Junkie Radio, exclusively on Dash. You can listen to Mike’s show by either downloading the FREE Dash Radio App from ITunes or Google Play or listen on the web: www.dashradio.com.

This is a past recording of “Adventures In Stereo” radio show few months ago. The Funky President J.Rocc brings in the legendary Damien Marley. J.Rocc’s radio show is now every Friday from 8-10pm on 90.7FM KPFK in Los Angeles or listen on the internet: www.kpfk.org.

This is a past recording of “Adventures In Stereo” radio show few months ago. The Funky President J.Rocc brings in the legendary Dj Quik. J.Rocc’s radio show is now every Friday from 8-10pm on 90.7FM KPFK in Los Angeles or listen on the internet: www.kpfk.org.

It is an honor to have the legendary LA Hip Hop Radio personality, Mike Nardone return to the airwaves on Beat Junkie Radio. He returns to his roots by debuting his new show called “Essentials” on Beat Junkie Radio. If you’re not familiar with Mike Nardone, he was the first person to start up a college Hip Hop radio show in 1987 at KXLU (Loyola Marymount) in Los Angeles called “We Came From Beyond” as well as having a show on the defunct 92.3 The Beat called “Da Joint” with King Emz. Mike is the West Coast counterpart of the legendary NY Radio Duo, Stretch Armstrong & Bobbito Garcia. This particular episode, Mike is playing R&B soul from 1984-1986.

Essentials with Mike Nardone will be airing every 2nd Saturdays of each month from 4:30-6:30pm on Beat Junkie Radio, exclusively on Dash. You can listen to Mike’s show by either downloading the FREE Dash Radio App from ITunes or Google Play or listen on the web: www.dashradio.com.

J.Rocc, Mr. Choc, & Rhettmatic of the Beat Junkies visit Soulection Radio & catch up with Joe Kay as they discuss the opening of the Beat Junkie Institute Of Sound as well as getting down on the decks. >>> www.beatjunkiesound.com

** Soulection Radio Shows on Beats 1 are archived here 6 days after they air live on Saturday from 7pm-9pm Pacific**

The collaboration of T-Dot’s Finest repping for One of Hip Hop Duos of All Time, Gangstarr!Dj Starting From Scratch takes you on the ultimate musical journey showcasing the greatest songs/features of Guru & Dj Premier & our very own Record Pool Ambassador, the legendary Dj Grouch gives you the ultimate retrspect by cutting up some of Gangstarr’s greatest Breaks/Breakbeats. All this combined gives you THE ABSOLUTE GREATEST TRIBUTE TO THE GANGSTARR. that you’ll ever get your hands/ears on!!! You know it’s also legit when Preemo himself drops an official drop for the mix. Rest In Peace Gifted Unlimited Rhymes Universal aka The Guru!

The collaboration of T-Dot’s Finest repping for the Greatest Of All Time, The Notorious B.I.G.Dj Starting From Scratch takes you on the ultimate musical journey showcasing the greatest songs/features of Biggie & our very own Record Pool Ambassador, the legendary Dj Grouch gives you the ultimate retrspect by cutting up some of Biggie’s greatest Breaks/Breakbeats. All this combined gives you THE ABSOLUTE GREATEST TRIBUTE TO THE NOTORIOUS B.I.G. that you’ll ever get your hands/ears on!!! This is also our final send off to the G.O.A.T.! Kick back, relax, & enjoy this Final Tribute to The Notorious B.I.G.

In honor of the 17th Year Anniversary of the legendary Big Pun‘s passing, Dj/Remix Editor Dj Cyberkid did a special 2017 tribute of the late great MC. A lot of the songs in the mix are Cyberkid’s own special edits & can be found on our Beat Junkies Record Pool. Sign up & get them at www.beatjunkies.com

Producer Extraordinaire Dj Exile of the mighty Dirty Science crew & his cohort, producer Sirplus, brings to you a special Christmas gift!

“In the Spirit of Christmas I decided to make this gift to you, 9 Original Christmas Beats From me and Co Host Sirplus. We Cooked up this beat and this mix in only 10 days. Also Enjoy a Free Stream of my new album with long time partner in Crime Aloe Blacc, but hes rapping & killing it.”

Our very own Rhettmatic did a special 45 set at the Soul Summit Dance Party in Chicago this past weekend. Before his gig, he recorded a couple of practice sets to help him prep up for the gig:

“This past Sat. (11/19/16), I had the pleasure of spinning a special 45 set at the Soul Summit Dance Party – the Double Door in Chicago. To tell you the truth, I was kinda nervous because of the high caliber of talent that spun at this event that I had to live up to: my Beat Junkie brother J.Rocc, Breakbeat Lou, Peanut Butter Wolf, Prince Paul, Ali Shaheed Muhaamad (ATCQ), Dj Maseo (De La Soul), Adrian Younge, Rich Medina, Dj Spinna; you get the picture. So the whole week before my gig, I literally went thru all my 45 vinyl records to prepare for my set, & I tell ya, I was kinda overwhelmed….hahah! Anyways, after changing my set a couple of times & get some practice in, I recorded a couple of practice runs with all the skips, spinbacks, & record burns included. This is the best recorded take out of all of them. I ended up not playing exactly what I did at Soul Summit but this mix is gives you an idea what I tried to do. Thank you to Dave Mata, Scott Williams, & the rest of the crew. Hope you like it!”

Broadcasting Live from Los Angeles 7-10PM PST
Every 2nd & 4th Tuesdays Of The Month
On The Beat Junkie Radio channel
Exclusively on Dash Radio.
Download the Dash Radio App for free or listen to us on the web: www.dashradio.com.

This last night’s episode (July 10th) of “Adventures In Stereo” radio show. The Funky President J.Rocc along with his “Dynamic Duo” partner Rhettmatic did a special episode in honor of what’s going on this past week…we’re living in crazy times right now. Soundtrack For The Streets! Rest In Peace: Alton Steerling, Anthony Nunez, Dylan Noble, Pedro Villanueve, Philando Castile, & the officers in Dallas, TX. J.Rocc’s radio show is every Sunday from 10p-12a on 90.7FM KPFK in Los Angeles or listen on the internet: www.kpfk.org.

It is an honor to have the legendary LA Hip Hop Radio personality, Mike Nardone return to the airwaves on Beat Junkie Radio. He returns to his roots by debuting his new show called “Essentials” on Beat Junkie Radio. If you’re not familiar with Mike Nardone, he was the first person to start up a college Hip Hop radio show in 1987 at KXLU (Loyola Marymount) in Los Angeles called “We Came From Beyond” as well as having a show on the defunct 92.3 The Beat called “Da Joint” with King Emz. Mike is the West Coast counterpart of the legendary NY Radio Duo, Stretch Armstrong & Bobbito Garcia. This particular audio is from Mike’s 2nd show (June 11th); Our very own Babu & Rhettmatic are Mike’s assistants.

Essentials with Mike Nardone will be airing every 2nd Saturdays of each month from 4:30-6:30pm on Beat Junkie Radio, exclusively on Dash. You can listen to Mike’s show by either downloading the FREE Dash Radio App from ITunes or Google Play or listen on the web: www.dashradio.com.

New music by West Coast Underground Hip Hop legends, Third Sight (Roughneck Jihad, Dj Du-Funk, & our very own D-Styles). They have a new album coming out called “Third Sight IV” and the lead single is called “Trife 1”. With a menacing beat by D-Styles & Sharp Lyrics by Jihad, this is for fans of some of that classic beats & rhymes with an dark edge!

The Beat Junkies present: Soundcheck
Broadcasting Live from Los Angeles 7-10PM PST
Every 2nd & 4th Tuesdays Of The Month
On The Beat Junkie Radio channel
Exclusively on Dash Radio.
Download the Dash Radio App for free or listen to us on the web: www.dashradio.com.

For the last couple of years, in honor of my birthday (May 10), I’ve been releasing some music (whether mixes or unreleased projects) to the public as a thank you to everyone who’ve been supporting my musical endeavors throughout the years, & just being grateful for able to live another day/week/month/year. Today is no exception.

Everyone by now should be familiar with the talented soul singer, the man called Aloe Blacc. Unless you are not into Underground Independent Hip Hop or didn’t grow up in the Southern California Music Scene during the 90’s, you might not know that Aloe Blacc is also an incredible Emcee and is part of a group called “Emanon” with producer extraordinaire, Exile.

What a lot of people may not also know that Aloe & myself recorded a whole album together back in 2004. “2004?!”….yup, 13 years ago….can you believe that?? This is around the time when Aloe was attending USC & I was living in Long Beach and was still working at Fat Beats LA. You’re probably also asking the question “Why is there an image of a Quarter on the front cover?”. I’m glad you asked that….Aloe suggested we do something like this: “Maybe an image that depicts something about 2004, like a pair of shoes that came out that year or a big news item. In 2004, I turned 25, maybe an image of a 1979 quarter”….hence, the reason why we have a Quarter on the album cover.

How this project came about is basically, both Aloe & myself were at some type of crossroad in terms of what we wanted to do as artists, individually. Aloe was taking a break from Emanon in terms of exploring, recording solo projects & working with different artists….Exile was in the process of becoming the producer he is known today by working on his own solo projects as well as crafting an album with a young, talented MC by the name of “Blu”. As for me, I was also trying to expand my horizons as a producer. Everyone knows me mostly for being a DJ/Turntablist from the Beat Junkies & the only production work that I did that people are aware of is with the Visionaries. I wanted to branch out & work with different artists as well to see what else I can do that I can’t normally do with my own group. I was luckily enough to have Aloe open to the idea in working with me. Around this time period, I was solely using the Akai MPC2000 for my main production equipment, & made a few beats on EMU SP1200 Drum Machine Sampler (Listen to the album & guess which machine I used). We recorded 14 songs but had really 11 strong songs. I just remember listening to our project & saying “Wow…Aloe is incredible!”. The plan was to shop the project but it never got a chance to materialized because we both went on to other things: Aloe got signed as solo artist on Stones Throw & I went to work on the 4th Visionaries’ album “We Are The Ones”.

On a side note, the song “Find A Way” was made originally for this project, that later became the B-Side single to Aloe’s “I’m Beautiful” off his Stones Throw solo debut album “Shine Through”. I had no idea that Aloe can sing and was really good. When I heard this song, I knew Aloe was destined to do bigger things. And this song also led to Aloe working with my good friend, the incredible DJ Khalil of Self Scientific and future Grammy Award Winning Producer. I played “Find A Way” for Khalil and the first thing he said to me was “Who is this person, I got to work with him”. When he found out who it was, & he was shocked. Many years later, they crafted together the successful hit song “I’m The Man”, which were backdrops for a series of Beats By Dre commercials as well for the 2014 NFL Draft & 2014 MLB All Star Game ads.

Fast forward to 2016….I had a chance to revisit the album and I totally forgot that Aloe & myself recorded a whole project that was made 13 years ago. I reached out to Aloe to remind him about our project. Even as busy as Aloe is now, he took the time to listen back to the album & said it would be dope if people could here our progression. He suggested that we release this album as a FREE project & gave me the idea concept of the album title & cover artwork. I am very lucky that Aloe gave me his blessing to release this project that you are about to listen now. We hope you enjoy this time capsule & this little nostalgia from our musical past. And the saying goes…the rest is history.

To everyone that’s taking the time to listen to this piece of history, as well as those who’ve been supporting me & musical endeavors from the get go, thank you very much. To my man wiz1der for helping me with the mixdowns. To my man FWMJ of RappersIKnow for the artwork. And to my brother Aloe….thank you for always being a friend & a musical comrade. Everything you’ve worked hard for, you deserved!

This past Thursday, April 21st, the world lost an icon, a legend, a great musician, a social activist….the man known as Prince. Prince Rogers Nelson is someone that the Junkies grew up listening to his music & was totally influenced by his style of Funk & Soul. And everyone knows that our very own Funky President, J.Rocc is the biggest Prince fan.

Music Tastemaker & KCRW’s DJ/Personality Garth Trinidad hosted a special tribute to Prince.
In customary fashion, Garth invited friend and president of the World Famous Beat Junkies, J.Rocc, to share an exclusive, spontaneous tribute mix in honor of his purple majesty. Hits, b-sides, rarities, mash-ups, and live out takes color a seamless celebration of the life, legacy, and music of Prince Rogers Nelson.

It is an honor to have the legendary LA Hip Hop Radio personality, Mike Nardone return to the airwaves onBeat Junkie Radio. He returns to his roots by debuting his new show called “Essentials” on Beat Junkie Radio. If you’re not familiar with Mike Nardone, he was the first person to start up a college Hip Hop radio show in 1987 at KXLU (Loyola Marymount) in Los Angeles called “We Came From Beyond” as well as having a show on the defunct 92.3 The Beat called “Da Joint” with King Emz. Mike is the West Coast counterpart of the legendary NY Radio Duo, Stretch Armstrong & Bobbito Garcia. This particular audio is from Mike’s 2nd show (April 9th); Our very own Rhettmatic is Mike’s assistant.

Essentials with Mike Nardone will be airing every 2nd Saturdays of each month from 4:30-6:30pm on Beat Junkie Radio, exclusively on Dash. You can listen to Mike’s show by either downloading the FREE Dash Radio App from ITunes or Google Play or listen on the web: www.dashradio.com.

Rest In Peace to legendary Phife Dawg, 1/4 of one of the greatest Hip Hop groups of all time, A Tribe Called Quest. Malik “Phife Dawg” Taylor passed away on March 22, 2016 due to complications to Diabeties. Our very own Dj Melo-D does a special Phife Dawg tribute mix in honor of the fallen MC. Shoutouts & deepest condolences to Qtip, Ali Shaheed Muhammed & Jarobi White. Phife Dawg, we will miss you….!

It is an honor to have the legendary LA Hip Hop Radio personality, Mike Nardone return to the airwaves on Beat Junkie Radio. He returns to his roots by debuting his new show called “Essentials” on Beat Junkie Radio. If you’re not familiar with Mike Nardone, he was the first person to start up a college Hip Hop radio show in 1987 at KXLU (Loyola Marymount) in Los Angeles called “We Came From Beyond” as well as having a show on the defunct 92.3 The Beat called “Da Joint” with King Emz. Mike is the West Coast counterpart of the legendary NY Radio Duo, Stretch Armstrong & Bobbito Garcia. This particular audio is from Mike’s 1st show (March 12th); Our very own Rhettmatic was Mike’s assistant that day.

Essentials with Mike Nardone will be airing every 2nd Saturdays of each month from 4:30-6:30pm on Beat Junkie Radio, exclusively on Dash. You can listen to Mike’s show by either downloading the FREE Dash Radio App from ITunes or Google Play or listen on the web: www.dashradio.com.

The Beat Junkies present: Soundcheck
Broadcasting Live from Los Angeles 7-10PM PST
Every 2nd & 4th Tuesdays Of The Month
On The Beat Junkie Radio channel
Exclusively on Dash Radio.
Download the Dash Radio App for free or listen to us on the web: www.dashradio.com.

Producer Extraordinaire Dj Exile & the young gun King Choosey of the Dirty Science Crew do a special honor tribute to late, great J Dilla. Exile flips live MPC re-works of J Dilla classics, with no Loops while Choosey freestyles. All in celebration of the Greatest to do it. DS Radio vol. 2

It’s the final week of Dilla Month (but everyday is Dilla Day). To close out the week, here’s a couple of Audio Treats by the Funky President J.Rocc, the one & only Houseshoes, & the young gun Dj Dstrukt to pep up your week. J Dilla Forever!

The Beat Junkies present: Soundcheck
Broadcasting Live from Los Angeles 7-10PM PST
Every 2nd & 4th Tuesdays Of The Month
On The Beat Junkie Radio channel
Exclusively on Dash Radio.
Download the Dash Radio App for free or listen to us on the web: www.dashradio.com.

Our very own J.Rocc teamed up with All City Music to do a Mobb Deep Tribute Mix in honor of the special release of “The Infamous” Limited Edition Colored Vinyl Re-issue coming out on March 25th. Shout out to our good friend Havana Joe!

Turntable Virtuoso Dj Teeko comes back with some hard hittin music called “Rap Freak”Vol. 5.

“Vol 5 was created in 5 days immediately after watching the highly recommended “Radio That Changed Lives” Documentary of Stretch Armstrong and Bobbito. The inspiration was fueled by this amazing documentation of hip hop at its rawest state. This collage was created using only a turntable and records.”

The Beat Junkies present: Soundcheck
Broadcasting Live from Los Angeles 7-10PM PST
Every 2nd & 4th Tuesdays Of The Month
On The Beat Junkie Radio channel
Exclusively on Dash Radio.
Download the Dash Radio App for free or listen to us on the web: www.dashradio.com.

Step 1. Don’t be MeekMill or Stacey Dash. (joking)

These days, the internet has become one of the most instrumental, and sometimes detrimental building blocks for success. Although a big obstacle for many is learning how to navigate the landscape and figuring out the most effective methods of getting what you want, to who you want with the least amount of resistance for the lowest cost and the fastest, whew… Sounds like fun, right? At least, the ever-changing environment of what channels we use to distribute our content keeps things fresh, and requires us to be aware of new platforms to quickly adapt to for that ‘edge’ being first to: myspace>facebook>tumblr>soundcloud>twitter>bandcamp>instagram>snapchat>????? – After years of blogging, consulting, doing PR and producing events – I still have to keep my finger on the pulse of most outlets in order to know what’s best for the artists and brands that I work with and represent. That said, I’m going to share some advice below that should assist you in reaching the goals mentioned above as the title of this is how to get heard by who you want, which is synonymous w/getting what you want.

1. Ethics & Integrity – Are fundamental and part of the basics to this whole thing. Think about the impressions you leave with people, whether that be communicated via email, in person, or even on social media. Your online persona could be just your ‘way of expressing yourself’ or feel more vocal about things, but you have to remember that it’s all a reflection of you. Much like recording over someones production without asking permission from the original producer or creating a remix to something then pushing it as if it was requested just to ride the wave of the popular artist who’s original song is getting play. Common sense plays a big role in a lot of this, but if I have to explain that then I’m wasting your time and my own. Try your best to maintain artistic integrity – if an opportunity arises that doesn’t change the alignment of your direction, branding, presentation and fabric that holds your product unique. by all means – go for it. Although, on the b-side if you’ve got wavering ethics or conceptual integrity it can be seen from a mile away and that may prevent some people from connecting with you on a business or personal level alongside turning your audience away because you weren’t true to what you might do or say. ex: The hip-hop head who starts to experiment with other genres (Which is completely fine) or worse, the hypocrite who outs themselves on and off record.

2. Trim The Fat – Keep correspondence short, nobody needs your life story. From your bio to your press kit, to your messages for collaboration or even attempts to volunteer or get involved with things bigger than yourself. KISS ( keep it simple, stupid ) being short and straight-forward in correspondence and requests will make it easier for the recipients to respond quickly in a similar manner. No means no, but months or years later could mean yes. As long as you keep it short.

3. No More Parties In LA – LA and NY are meccas of culture, entertainment, fashion, music and art. People come here on a 30-day to make it plan and either burn through everything they have and go back home or they make moves strategically and do things right so they can live off of their craft almost immediately. Then there’s the 9-5’er or freelancer who supplements their income with a balance til they are doing what they love full-time. Anyway you cut it, I think another important part of getting heard by the right people ( or at least, who you want to listen ) does require the legwork of going out and networking. There are several websites that will tell you what’s going on in your city at any given moment, and each one is a gateway drug to more events, much like flyergum that ends up on your mirror/dash after a party… I’m not suggesting you street perform or start soliciting people while you barista or wait tables. On the contrary, I do tell people to create a calendar of events that they go to each month that are beneficial to what they are doing and where they are trying to go. There’s so many different groups and demographics of people to reach, and you only have so much time and money to do such. Going out on a decently consistent basis allows you to see performance spaces and other shows in which you’ll potentially be interested in performing at, gain inspiration from and again – spread your art among the masses. You can drop your music with event coordinators, promoters, venue owners, talent bookers, deejays, and other people of potential importance when you’re checking out the nightlife as well.

4. Sampling – If you’re seeking placement or licensing situations, be smart about your sample usage. Unless you have the money to pay for clearance, most of the time that amazing track of yours is going to require a lot of additional work and money to have actual use. It sucks, but it’s part of the game and a very expensive, time consuming one at that. Try to create original compositions so your work is original and has more flexibility, thus allowing you more opportunities in where it can take you. Otherwise, seek the originators of that music, request permission to repurpose their work and who knows – you may not only get their approval but several additional stems and pieces to work with. Dare I say, sometimes it works out that if they like what you put out there, you can collaborate with them on an official level because of a mutual respect or interest. There’s no better feeling then after years of trying to work with a certain someone, them finally responding to you and inviting you to meet up and build. Most of the guys and girls I’ve wanted to work with almost 10 years ago, I’ve now done shows or projects with and consider friends today.

5. Presentation & Packaging – If it looks like garbage, and smells like garbage, it might possibly be garbage, or at least that’s the place it will end up if your presentation isn’t on point. The easiest way I’ve found to clean up your presentation is working with a designer who’s actually into what you create. Someone who would be excited, and benefit from working with you and creating for you. I can’t even count on both hands and feet how many designs I’ve done for free that I call “portfolio” to make myself feel better about not being compensated for them, only to have them start hiring me when their money was right. It was all original work for artists who I believed in, and little did I know would be moving mountains several years later and remember my efforts in supporting them. This is a good reminder of how things you do in the past, can help you in the future. Working with the same people creates a good synergy, relationship and creates consistency in your branding. If everyone’s on the same page, you’ll gain some form of identity from this and it’ll benefit you tenfold as opposed to hopping around with every photographer, video guy, designer and stylist you meet. Last note on this, keep in mind what I said about trimming the fat, because this also applies to overproducing or going too-minimal with your work (whether art or music). There is a happy middle ground which you should hopefully reach.

6. Submissions – Unless it’s a very small mb file, do not attach files to emails that you’re sending out to labels, blogs, promoters and more. Nothing is worse then being on the receiving end and finding out someone just left an elephant on your doorstep that you didn’t ask for and now you’ve gotta call up a moving company, wasting time and money to move it so your important packages can arrive. Always be mindful of your recipient, this includes how many paragraphs that will be ignored inside of your email. You’ll have a higher success rate on having your hail mary passes reach the end zone if you consolidate and simplify what you’re trying to say. If the goal is to just have someone hear your music on the other end, make it as easily accessible as possible – no download links, no attachments, god forbid you have to sign-up to some new service to get to it. Just simply upload it on a platform where the person clicks once, doesn’t need to be logged in, and they end up at the file with a functional Play & Stop button with volume control and leave the rest in their hands. It’s really that easy, and if you’re not getting a response from said bloggers, editors and more – they are either too busy, not interested, or you need to change your approach.

7. Unique Approach – In a perfect world, a great idea or solid product would just fly on its own and create an abundance of wealth and opportunity for the creator of such things so they could reinvest in themselves. Unfortunately, we don’t live in that world and everything requires a solid gameplan because there’s levels to this sh*t. Having a unique approach will definitely help you get what you want as this shows you’ve thought outside of the box, and managed to think differently in how you present yourself, product or service. A few years back I had 2 friends ask me to redo their resumes. I asked them what they wanted to do, why, and what makes them think they are the most suited for the job. Both answered all the questions with confidence and with enough good reasons for me to move forward. Little did they know, if I didn’t feel like it would be sensible, I would’ve told them my opinion and suggested they work with someone else out of respect for their time and my own. One resume was for a new luxurious bespoke cocktail bar opening that would be extremely difficult to get into and had practically a 12 step hiring process. The other was for one of the biggest music festivals worldwide that happens annually in SoCal. For the bartender, we sat down and analyzed all the collateral the bar had released through press and media outlets. We took a screenshot of their menu, names of their drinks, their color schemes, and the overall idea/concept that they were sharing and integrated all of this into a resume. Her resume looked exactly like their menu, and had unique accents and design elements that were deemed clever or witty, ex: instead of where the bars website, address and phone number were, it had her contact information/Website/LinkedIn. She printed this on a thicker resume cardstock similar to a diploma and delivered it to this bar. From the moment they received it, others were called into the room to check it out, surprised and excited to see the efforts put in by this potential candidate to get the job. The story gets deeper, but to summarize – she got the job for being different and unique in her approach. Against hundreds of people trying to get the same position before and after her. It was this, that paved the way for her to stand out and gain the attention of the audience ( getting heard by who you want ). While the other person I mentioned was applying to Coachella and basically had me create an entire promotional kit with backpack, shirts, stickers, flyers, a poster, lanyard and more all with personalized/flipped-Coachella branding, so instead of any of their details, it had his resume and credentials. This included a flyer with him playing every stage lol… Instead of sending it off to Goldenvoice, he actually ended up taking it with him to an interview in Hollywood, CA for an advertising agency and got hired almost on the spot. I can give a few other examples that I was involved with things like this in music/art etc but I absolutely encourage anyone to push the limit on creative application and distribution of themselves. This includes when you are producing Cassettes, Vinyls, CD’s and more.

8. Working In Reverse – This is sometimes a good process to accomplishing goals, I’ve done this a few times when assembling press kits and reworking resumes. As another example, there was an artist a few years ago that approached me about wanting to get on a festival. I looked at their guidelines for submission, who the headliners were, the openers, the region, and had to work in reverse to tear it all down to step 1 of what would give this girl the best shot at getting picked up for it. I started with the region, where she had already done many shows in the area with some of the biggest names that came into town fitting for her genre of music, so it was easy to make a list of these venues and shows she’s played, alongside the likes of who she performed with. That built value in her potentially bringing more attendees/promotion/ticket buyers to the festival due to familiarity. I continued to roll down their lists of steps required to get “on” and looked at anything else that would give her an edge when applying. When we worked through all of those, it was a matter of how we served up her introduction email, organized the rest of her content to be most fitting for the acts performing and type of festival (omitting tracks that didn’t make sense or wouldn’t be of interest, and pushing the ones that were/would be instead ). We were even so detailed to change the photos on her press kit out to show a different side and that she’s rocked stages with thousands in the crowd before instead of the smaller venue, intimate, candid shots she had there prior. The list goes on and I’m sure you get the idea, but long story short – she got booked/paid because she had the basics down, but also learned how to tailor her pitch, after deconstructing the event and making a roadmap to reach her intended destination and audience.

9. Good People Are Hard To Find. – From managers, editors, event producers, curators, bloggers, and more. When you find people who genuinely appreciate what you say, do, and the direction you’re going. Don’t fuck up by letting them vanish, and don’t push them away with an ego. Everyone is trying to be the best they can be in their field, and who knows what their long term goals are. Some people you’ll work with from the start of their career and find helping you out a decade later just based on your consistency in being dedicated to your craft and humble in your ways. Others you’ll show a little bit of promise to, they’ll spot it early on and they will ride for you til the wheels fall off opening doors along the way. It may not be fun to weather the storm over and over again, but that persistence and patience pays off most of the time if you aren’t making the same mistakes ( not to mention it helps end the cycles of factory farmed creatives with mass distributed content that’s unhealthy clickbait, fodder and fluff distracting people from actually being productive). Build your team wisely and keep it thorough.

10. Asking. – They say a closed mouth doesn’t get fed, but an open one can potentially get smacked for saying the wrong thing. Be tactful in your choice of words, especially if you don’t know who you’re talking to. I know people who blame being introverted or anti-social to their lack of success in their industry when realistically it’s a matter of them not speaking up and asking for what they want. So instead of getting the help they need or want, they’ll bitch and complain about it (which also, has the same result) until they give up entirely or fall into some mental sickness like depression. Asking questions, gets answers and people like to talk. Don’t be afraid to do some outreach and remember, what’s the worst that can happen, they say no? or there’s no answer? Note, Please & Thank You still work in whatever year it is that you’re reading this article and last but not least. Don’t be an askhole, you’ll never get what you want if you continually ask for advice and then do the opposite, people notice and they remember. Asking is better then assuming, and that it’s better to ask for forgiveness then permission thing is definitely bullshit. That means you ‘assumed” the outcome of your question, and decided to do something because you weren’t strong enough to pose your request properly enough to get the results you desired, that shit is wack. Learn how to communicate better and you’ll see that most things aren’t as difficult as you think. Lastly, don’t name drop unless that person will vouch for you, it’s not going to give you any points if you’re lying, and if someone like myself decides to do a verification text. “xyz says he knows you, and you’ve worked together, is he cool? ” and the results come back negative, you just blacklisted yourself with 2 people at once…

So that about covers it, I hope you learned something new or found some tips within that will help you reach your goals in whatever it is that you’re aspiring to be or do.

The Beat Junkies present: Soundcheck
Broadcasting Live from Los Angeles 7-10PM PST
Every 2nd & 4th Tuesdays Of The Month
On The Beat Junkie Radio channel
Exclusively on Dash Radio.
Download the Dash Radio App for free or listen to us on the web: www.dashradio.com.

The Beat Junkies present: SoundcheckBroadcasting Live from Los Angeles 7-10PM PST
Every 2nd & 4th Tuesdays Of The Month
On The Beat Junkie Radio channel
Exclusively on Dash Radio.
Download the Dash Radio App for free or listen to us on the web: www.dashradio.com.

This last night’s episode (December 20th) of “Adventures In Stereo” radio show. The Funky President J.Rocc brings back the band together & got the Fantastik 4our to do a reunion show. It’s good to hear Mr. Choc, C-Minus, Truly Odd, & J.Rocc together on the air, even if it’s for 1 time only….feels like the 90’s again. J.Rocc’s radio show is every Sunday from 10p-12a on 90.7FM KPFK in Los Angeles or listen on the internet: www.kpfk.org.

In honor of this Friday’s event “Flavors 8” 90’s party (December 11th) at The Echoplex in Los Angeles, brought to you by Footlong Development, here is the extended mix of J.Rocc‘s ‘East Coast Flavors’ that was printed up on a limited edition cassette mixtape last year. On this mix is all the classic 90’s Hip Hop joints that you will be hearing at the party.

Our very own D-Styles & Shortkut along with the incredible Dj Q-Bert are some of the members of the Invisibl Skratch Piklz, one of the dopest DJ crews in the world. They’re finally dropping a new album called “The 13th Floor”. Their first official single just dropped, courtesy of the Red Bull Music Academy.

“The phrase “legends in the game” gets chucked around a lot, but there really isn’t any other way to describe the Invisibl Skratch Piklz. The crew captivated the attention of a generation in the early 90’s with their fast-evolving definition of Turntablism. Recently, the current incarnation of the group consisting of Dj Q-Bert, D-Styles, & Shortkut hit the Red Bull Studios in Tokyo to record the first Piklz album in 20 years. The same trip included an appearance at this year’s Red Bull Thr3estyle World Finals, as well as taking part in a Guinness World Record-breaking Team Scratch routine with the Finalists – their heirs from around the world. “Classical Moog” is a exclusive peek at three truly inspirational pioneers coming full circle into a new era of technique technology”

The Beat Junkies present: SoundcheckBroadcasting Live from Los Angeles 7-10PM PST
Every 2nd & 4th Tuesdays Of The Month
On The Beat Junkie Radio channel
Exclusively on Dash Radio.
Download the Dash Radio App for free or listen to us on the web: www.dashradio.com.

Our good friend, the legendary Dj Cut Chemist (Jurassic 5, Ozomatli) will be releasing his French Synth & Drum Machine based music mix called the “Funk Off” on vinyl. The FUNK OFF MEGAMIX has been pressed to a limited run of only 1,000 vinyl copies with a specially designed foil and embossed jacket. SHIPS 11/27/15.

or on Black Friday (November 27th), you can purchase the vinyl at the Rappcats Black Friday Record Store Day/Cut Chemist’s Funk Off/$1 Record Sale from 12-5pm. Don’t miss this wonderful chance to get some goodies!

This is a past recording of“Adventures In Stereo” radio show. The Funky President J.Rocc brings in Detroit’s Ambassador & Street Corner Music Headhoncho Houseshoes. J.Rocc’s radio show is every Sunday from 10p-12a on 90.7FM KPFK in Los Angeles or listen on the internet: www.kpfk.org.

These days the internet has definitely thrown a monkey wrench into the way artists rise, fall and survive. You can have a great video or song and dance go viral at any time and in less then 24hrs garner millions of views. You could get remixed by a well known and established artist athen get picked up to their label/signed overnight. You could even have music placed in a 30second commercial or picked up for the theme song of a online tv show and get offers from licensing companies and residuals for the life of the show.

It’s really crazy to see the wave of advancement, adapation and transformation the entire music industry has gone through over just the past decade, it’s pretty incredible to say the least. The rise & fall of tidal, applemusic, soundcloud, bandcamp, tunecore, and the hundreds of other sites out there are really reshaping the music world.

The Basics:
In business and people, this idea goes hand in hand, you need to have the basics in order to proceed to the intermediate and advanced areas of whatever you’re aiming to do. Walking before you run, not putting the cart infront of the horse or biting off more then you can chew. In music, I’d say the basics are having your Name and the meaning behind it, secondly your logo and branding, third would be your bio/story fourth would be your online presence and last would be an overall branded package.

Having these things will give you a solid foundation, and from it will innately bring structure, which would be followed by your own leadership ( unless of course, you’re at the point where you need management, representation, an agent, etc ) | which by no means, am I suggesting those last things (mgmt/agent etc being a requirement)

So that was:

1. NAME / reason for it

2. LOGO / colors/theme (there’s a reason corporate standards come in with big companies using the same colors on everything they do)

3. BIO / background – we’ve all got stories, highs and lows, and this is a brief look at you.

4. Social Media / this is just getting your accounts in order and making sure they have matching names, so you are found the same way across any network, much like a website that is ‘responsive’ and visible in the same manner, across any device (phone, desktop, laptop, tablet, etc)

5. #EXCLUSIVE HASHTAG / this will help you archive as you go, and it will let people also take a peek into how far you’ve come, where you’re going, and how relevant or recent certain posts or articles are. This is your online signature if you will.

6. WEBSITE / websites are very important because they are like a brick & mortar store, except visible from anywhere in the world, 24hrs a day, 7 days a week, 365 a days a year. This is the sign outside of your store, this is the wallpaper inside your store, this is the music in your store, this is the merch in your store. This is literally a store hahah. It should have all the things listed prior to this point, some content of your best video/photo representation, and then a contact page.

7. Electronic Press Kit – This is everything on your website, wrapped into one comprehensive package, while an EPK is great for sending out to blogs, PR people, magazines, talent bookers and more. The point would be to get it down to “onesheet’ therefore it can also be printed on a nice cardstock and physically mailed to more valuable potential clients and partners. It should be easily downloadable on the website into a PDF file type. This is an easy way to get looked at as being a serious artist / professional because you’ve got all of your other ducks in a row. It’s much more appealing to a label, manager, agent, or booker to scoop someone who has it all together with the stuff mentioned above, as opposed to having to do a ‘development’ situation which requires someone else to produce all of these things for you.

8. BUSINESS CARDS – I’m pretty good with organizing business cards based on what field of work they are in, and transfering the information to my phone and spreadsheets to make sure I can keep in contact. While some people think cards are dated, I probably get asked for 5 per week in my outings here in Los Angeles. This is just another opportunity for you to extend yourself to others. Less expensive and faster then printing the epk to hand out to everyone like a resume, and cheap enough that you can leave them with check presenters when you pay bills, drop them into tip jars, let a few go at once, etc etc.

That’s all the “busy work” that are prerequsites in my opinion for you to become successful in the music world. Now sure not everyone needed or had these things to make it, but it definitely separates who’s ready to get to the next level and who isn’t, alongside who has their shit together, to put it bluntly. The DIY route is also not the best suggestion for this, get all of this stuff professionally done in collaboration with someone you trust who does high quality work, otherwise you’ll end up redoing everything in 6 months and wasting time/money. Buy once, buy right.

Finally, so like it, love it or hate it – those are the breaks and above are some of the best ways I can suggest for you to streamline your own success. The music is equally important, to the image you portray. This isn’t difficult stuff to do, and not too expensive, so why not?

As the saying goes “Remember that it takes 13 hours to build a Toyota and 6 months to build a Rolls-Royce.” The idea being that if you want to achieve big goals and accomplish your dreams, you’ve gotta significantly invest in yourself.

That said, I’m now offering web & graphic design services and branding packages to all of you… ( kidding, kind of 🙂

The Beat Junkies present: Soundcheck
Broadcasting Live from Los Angeles 7-10PM
Every 2nd & 4th Tuesdays Of The Month
On The Beat Junkie Radio channel
Exclusively on Dash Radio.
Download the Dash Radio App for free or listen to us on the web: www.dashradio.com.

The Beat Junkies present: Soundcheck
Broadcasting Live from Los Angeles 7-10PM
Every 2nd & 4th Tuesdays Of The Month
On The Beat Junkie Radio channel
Exclusively on Dash Radio.
Download the Dash Radio App for free or listen to us on the web: www.dashradio.com.

This past Sunday (October 4th), the Funky President J.Rocc brought in Strong Arm Steady‘s Krondon & SA-RA‘s own Shafiq Husayn as his special guests on his “Adventures In Stereo” radio show to promote their new group “White Boiz” and their debut album “Neighborhood Wonderful”. J.Rocc’s radio show is every Sunday from 10p-12a on 90.7FM KPFK in Los Angeles or listen on the internet: www.kpfk.org. “Neighborhood Wonderful” is out right now on Stones Throw.

The Beat Junkies present: Soundcheck
Broadcasting Live from Los Angeles 7-10PM PST
Every 2nd & 4th Tuesdays Of The Month
On The Beat Junkie Radio channel
Exclusively on Dash Radio.
Download the Dash Radio App for free or listen to us on the web: www.dashradio.com.

The Beat Junkies present: Soundcheck
Broadcasting Live from Los Angeles 7-10PM
Every 2nd & 4th Tuesdays Of The Month
On The Beat Junkie Radio channel
Exclusively on Dash Radio.
Download the Dash Radio App for free or listen to us on the web: www.dashradio.com.

The Beat Junkies present: Soundcheck
Broadcasting Live from Los Angeles
7-10PM Every 2nd & 4th Tuesdays Of The Month
On The Beat Junkie Radio channel
Exclusively on Dash Radio.
Download the Dash Radio App for free or listen to us on the web: www.dashradio.com.

These days, it seems like being an artist just isn’t enough. The whole new basket of responsibilities that comes along with the internet / digital territory has left people with so much more to worry about besides what matters most ( the music ). Below I list 10 steps to get you from studio to stage, and stage to stadium.

1. Branding – Personal Identity is a VERY important piece of your entire career. A logo, Specific Colors, A Certain Style, Maybe a signature intro, outro or action that you are known for and remembered by. Branding is by far one of the most effective methods of getting you off the ground. People need to be able to identify with you, and quickly. If you are starting to brand yourself, you should be using a logo that’s clean, clear, and easily read. The same goes with color choices. If your branding is too much like other people or companies, it can get lost or easily mistaken as theirs. If your branding is too unique, it could end up being difficult to read and may leave breaks communication. Branding is important when people are trying to discover you, as well as support you. I commonly make the analogy to wrestler’s of the 80’s/90s’ when mentioning individual branding. They are perfect examples of wearing it all on their sleeves, and being “in character” at all times. Make something memorable, be unforgettable.

2. Promotional Collateral – Materials like merchandise, promotional cards, pins, stickers, and other things that help spread awareness of you are very important. Once again, if they are unique or stylish enough they can be utilized as a conversation piece. Whether you sell them or give them away, the biggest goal here is to have things to leave behind for them to remember you by. If you have materials that create an emotional connection with the audience – you’ll receive even better results/response from it. It’s also a nice touch to send someone a cd and include a “bonus item” that they weren’t expecting. When doing artist management and development, I normally start off people with 10,000 “promotional cards” that have their logo on one side, contact info on the other, and tell them to leave them anywhere and everywhere that may have potential traffic that can send them to hear and interact with your product.

3. Open Mics / Being Active – Whether you want to stay in your basement or bedroom making music or you want to go party every night. As you know, most of this business is based around who you know, connections and communication are key for staying on people’s radar and getting opportunities. If you make music that fits a specific demographic, look at where those people are in abundance, and spend your time there. Create consistency in going to specific outings and you’ll end up meeting other people who also frequent the places, this also allows you to easily weave in and out of conversations. If you can actually participate in the activities at these said venues, even better! This game is very much out of sight, out of mind and this forces you to interact with others who could be potential customers or collaborators.

4. Collaboration vs Competition – Teamwork makes the dream work right? Sometimes a collaboration can yield an amazing response and is often used as a way to ‘kickstart’ careers or bring someone up with you. If you are unknown, but work with a producer, dj, or other artists that are more known, it can help you cross-pollenate and really expose you to different demographics. The best types of partnerships are the ones that make sense and have a bit of synergy already. Having people who are already more established co-sign or vouch for your talents by joining you on different parts of a record, is a great look and addition to your artist resume/press kit.

5. Professionalism – Sadly this one still somehow manages to be elusive and forgotten. This is pretty simple. Arrive on time to all meetings and appointments, remember there is a time and place for everything. When people ask what you do, answer in confidence. Nobody likes a “trying” anything, don’t be an aspiring Blank, you are either all in, or not in at all. When interacting with promoters/event coordinators, other talent performing, the venue staff, and beyond. It’s extremely valuable to make connections with all of these people because you never know who’s listening and watching, let alone where they are connected beyond the current show. When someone is on point and organized with all of their cords and equipment, they generally get offered more gigs because they are reliable and easy to build with. Even when sending emails to bloggers, and filling out festival forms. Use proper english, good etiquette, don’t get too cocky or arrogant, and maybe even offer to help if you’re just going to be waiting around otherwise. A little effort goes a long way.

6. Save Money – Having access to a decent bankroll can definitely help you climb faster, especially when you can pay different publicists, editors and more types of people or services that help you push your product/brand out to the masses on a larger scale. NEVER pay to play, if the show requires something like this, simply don’t do it. You will end up wasting your time and money performing in front of people that were guilt tripped or forced into a room together, only to see 1 person, and that in itself leaves people standing around disengaged with the show or gone with the wind as soon as the first breeze swings through. When you can pay for better production, guest drops or features, dj cuts, mixing, mastering, mailers, booking venues, and more. You want to stretch your dollars as much as you can and only utilize what you need. Some people save up and book themselves onto their own tour. With sites like Airbnb and Googlemaps this is becoming an easier and easier task. If you decide to tour, you can save money in a variety of ways by pre-planning and seeking deposits prior to arrival of each location. Once you see a larger demand in certain cities, you can utilize your funds to go back as well as aim to target specific areas of the city with a concentrated marketing plan.

7. Packaging / Presentation – Presentation is a key to success. This can boil down to album artwork, your cases, vinyl sleeves, designs, colors, fonts, even the wrap/packaging. If you have unique packaging, that comes as a real thoughtful piece. People take notice, and they remember it, and your art then becomes a collectable or limited piece that correlates with you. Think about unique methods of delivering your content to the masses, or specific and more important VIP’s.

8. Distribution – Once you have a physical or digital product, how are you going to get it out there? Distro is generally provided by labels, PR companies, some creative agencies and large digital/physical retailers. Unless you are phenomenal, let’s face it – you will have to put in work to move units. Finding a good distributor is kinda like buying a new car. You know it’s going to cost you quite a bit, but that cost is negated by what you gain from it, and how far it can take you. A good product with great distribution, can really catch on like wildfire and end up all over the world very rapidly via internet. Bad distribution can leave you with a surplus of product and nobody who wants to buy it or share/sell it. Before joining a label or signing a contract for releasing an album, definitely do your research on what options are the most feasible for you. I generally suggest aligning your type of music, with the brands or labels that best promote to that audience. You want to stay in your lane, but don’t be afraid to step a little beyond and ask questions, because a closed mouth doesn’t get fed.

9. Manager / Agent – While not always required, still important – normally a good manager will give you the focus and direction to make good business decisions and help you become a more well-rounded performer. An Agent can help you get booked for more gigs, as their career is built around relationships that require talent. They are literally a middle man, take care of them and they take care of you. Represent them poorly, and you could potentially have the reverse effects of what you want. Some of the best managers really make or break an artists career. You can be shaped and molded into an even more influential powerhouse with the right support backing you. If you are at a point in your career where you may be getting less offers, and few requests to be involved – it may be a good time to look at these types of people to see what they can do for you.

10. Perform / Practice – You’d probably be surprised to know what percentage of professional musicians do not practice once they get their big break. This causes them to eventually fall off or forget the basics that were at one time in place to create consistency in their careers. I understand this stuff may be a no-brainer, but you can never have “enough” practice in a specific craft. We are also creatures of habit and bad habits die hard. Never performing and never practicing equals the jogger who just got the cast off his leg, only to break it again. Normally what you put in is what you get out, and this is one of those cases where if you take it seriously, you should be able to get the most out of your shows, instead of trying to squeeze blood out of a stone.

“You can market ‘til you are blue in the face – hire the best PR or radio motion company in the world – but unless you have what people want you have nothing. No matter whether you’re recording your 4th studio album or your first, you’re always a work-in-progress of becoming your best yet, and quite frankly, you can never dig too deep or work too hard on your music.

Here’s some addtl information from Cari Cole –(Celebrity vocal coach, artist development expert, and new music business mentor)

9. Prioritize. Musicians are not wired for business naturally and are easily overwhelmed
by the lengthy to do list. Every Sunday, sit down and prioritize the top 3 things on your list for
the week ahead.

10. Don’t fight your musician nature. You are supposed to be highly sensitive, ridiculously
creative, and super anxious. It’s part of what it takes to be a “creative”. So you can stop
beating yourself up now :).

11. Don’t be permanently knocked down by rejection. If you’re doing your job right, you will
be rejected, many, many, many times. It’s a sign you’re on to something (unless you’re not.
Sometimes it’s because you’re just not there yet #itsalongjourneyworthtaking).

12. Take more risks with your art. Great artistry often steps outside the norm or is inventive.

13. Stop comparing. Comparisons distract you from your own path.

14. Perform as often as you can. Put in your 10,000 hours. Nothing less will put you
on the front lines.

15. Don’t skimp with your musicianship. It shows.

16. Make the best music on the planet and don’t stop until you have it. Period.

17. Make the music you want to hear. Stop trying to please everyone else, and please
yourself first – it’s infectious.

18. You can market ‘til you’re blue in the face, but if you don’t have what people want ~
you have nothing. #backtothedrawingboard.

19. Create your music masterpiece. First and foremost you are an artist – not a marketer.
Music comes first.

20. Write songs that tell your truth but hit universal truths at the same time. When you
write from your truth, it becomes an instant branding tool.

21. Don’t cave in to rhymes. That means focus on content first and rhyming second.
Use masterwriter.com.

39. Don’t devalue your music with a crappy brand that hurts not helps. Elevate yours.

40. Send out a regular monthly newsletter. That means the same day, same time every
month. Consistent marketing builds trust.

41. Have an email opt-in in exchange for something incredibly awesome that your fans
will want and please don’t use the phrase “free music.” Come up with a compelling title
for your giveaway (maybe the title of your songs).

42. Hire a VA (Virtual Assistant). And if you don’t know what that is or why you need one,
check out the links below.

43. Engage with your fans – find out who they are and talk to them. They will love you.

44. Go way out of your way for your fans. Fans are who support your career and pay you.

74. Don’t use basic marketing tactics that you learn from online marketers, music marketing
is a little more fickle than that. While there are similarities, music marketing follows slightly
different rules ;)). Study the right stuff ~ check out the links below.

75. Name your fans and have a #hashtag page title on your site just for them.

76. Stop thinking there is a one-size-fits-all plan for success in music. There isn’t.

77. There are many artist paths, knowing yours is a key to helping your carve your unique
path.

78. Find your next destination and then plan the route.

79. You don’t need a manager. Not until you are making at least $50K a year from your music.
Build your career first. Everyone else does. Except Justin Bieber and he doesn’t count.

80. Work with people who believe in great music and who will tell you the truth, even when
it’s hard to hear.

81. Not every music industry person is created equal. Don’t give the same weight to what
everyone says.

82. Filter advice, but listen to everything worthy.

83. Stay clear of negative people, they’re not good for you, no matter how important they are.

84. If there are holes in your artistry or business acumen, get the highest level of help you
can find. Not doing so will gravely keep you from your success.

85. Know how the music industry works. As Mary J. Blige says “the music industry is no
place for people that don’t know things.”

86. Keep your head up – high, even when you don’t feel like it.

87. Don’t be pretentious, or name drop. It’s compensating for your lack of faith in yourself.
Develop more self-esteem. You can do it.

88. Practice being exactly where you are for one week (not projecting into the future) and see
what happens.

89. Don’t push the river. The river can’t be pushed and there is a reason it’s flowing at the
pace it is.

90. Read the subtext. It’s not what’s being said, it’s how it’s being said that matters.

91. Don’t put your faith in people, put your faith in yourself.

92. Develop a stronger relationship with yourself. It’s the only one you really have.

93. Forgive easily. Everyone is doing the best they can given who they are.

94. Have big goals but low expectations.

95. Honor your impulsive nature (it helps you move forward), but never make hasty decisions
that you’ll pay for later.

96. Don’t release music just because you have a deadline or you’ll release stuff that is under
par. But always operate under deadlines, just move them back without a second thought.
Music first over everything else.

97. Don’t worry if you’ve promised a release date you’ve missed, things always take way longer
than you think. Just quickly apologize and talk about the improvements /progress/ journey!

98. Follow every artist you can find that you believe in and then shout out about them. This
creates a rich community of support when you need it. And don’t fool yourself, you’ll need it.

99. Don’t vie for attention or adoration from others. Give it to yourself. You’ll stand way taller
and shine brighter.

100. Believe in yourself more than your mother, family or friends do or did.

101. Always fight hard for your music and don’t make anyone wrong in the process.

The Beat Junkies present: Soundcheck
Broadcasting Live from Los Angeles 7-10PM
Every 2nd & 4th Tuesdays Of The Month
On The Beat Junkie Radio channel
Exclusively on Dash Radio.
Download the Dash Radio App for free or listen to us on the web: www.dashradio.com.

just recently found this live recording audio of when I participated in the Beat Society LA Showcase in 2004…listening to this recording had me buggin out and brought back memories. This featured beats by Jake One, Marco Polo, Kev Brown, & yours truly.

Let me backtrack a little…..Some of you might be familar with the Beat Society Producer Showcase, some of you might not. For me personally, this is the one that started it all with the producer showcase genre, in terms of having established & upcoming producers at that time. This showcase was the brainchild from Philly producer extraordinaire Hezekiah along with the help from the indy label Soulspazm. Beat Fanatic head honcho Slopfunkdust was also instrumental in connecting the dots. The event was always hosted by Stef Tataz & Sao. And almost every producer that had a name or just getting a buzz has graced the stage: Kanye West, Nottz, Illmind, Exile, 9th Wonder, B!nk, Oddisee, & many more.

The showcase event would always feature 4 producers playing their beats live off their respected machines, as well as having well known MCs rock over their production, plus a sample challenge round where each producer would have to flip a sample that the committee from the Beat Society has chosen…The event was mostly based in the East Coast, primarily Philidelphia.

In 2003, it was the first time that the Beat Society Showcase ventures out West, specificially Los Angeles at the Knitting Factory. There, they had Dj Khalil, Illmind, Hezekiah, & the Dilated Junkie himself, Dj Babu. I had the honor of spinning music in between. What was also monumental, Dilla & Madlib were in the house chillin in the background peepin out the event.

In 2004, they had another Beat Society LA showcase (again at the Knitting factory), but this time, they asked me to participate as a producer. I was very honored, and to tell you the truth, I was hella nervous. “Why?” you ask? Well, I had to share the stage with some of my favorite producers who happen to be also my friends: Jake One, Marco Polo, & Kev Brown. To be on the same stage as these heavyweights had me shook….haha! I had alot of pressure, (1) because I was repping the hometown and didn’t want to let Los Angeles down and (2) the general public didn’t really know me as a producer; I was known more for being a DJ/Turntablist and I wanted to showcase my production to the public.

When you listen to the audio, you can hear each producer’s individual style and what equipment they were using: Jake had the ASR-10, Marco Polo & Kev Brown had the MPC 2000XL, & me…I had the MPC2000 & the Technics 1200 (yeah, I brought my set up at that time…lol). You can tell I was really nervous…haha. Also, when you listen to the audio, you might be familiar with some of the production that we played that night, especially Jake’s production of De La Soul‘s “Rock KoKane Flow” & WWE’s John Cena‘s wrestling intro song “The Time Is Now”. I played beats that would eventually make onto the Visionaries‘ 4th album “We Are The Ones”.

All in all, I had a great time sharing the stages with these guys, bonding & cracking jokes, & showcasing my beats. And it was a great feeling when my peers who I am a fan of their work gave me my props as a producer that night….that meant alot to me. I am honored to be featured & be part of this historic moment of the Beat Society history.

Speaking of Soundcheck…..here’s the official audio from our show this past Tuesday.

The Beat Junkies present: SoundcheckBroadcasting Live from Los Angeles 7-10PM
Every 2nd & 4th Tuesdays Of The Month
On The Beat Junkie Radio channel
Exclusively on Dash Radio.
Download the Dash Radio App for free or listen to us on the web: www.dashradio.com.

Mello Music Group just dropped the Official Mixtape of Pete Rock‘s “Petestrumentals 2”, put together by the our very own J.Rocc aka The Funky President aka Soul Brother #2. Peep the goodness. “Petestrumentals 2” out now!

The Beat Junkies present: Soundcheck
Broadcasting Live from Los Angeles 7-10PM
Every 2nd & 4th Tuesdays Of The Month
On The Beat Junkie Radio channel
Exclusively on Dash Radio.
Download the Dash Radio App for free or listen to us on the web: www.dashradio.com.

Producer extraordinaire Flying Lotus did his last show a few days ago for BBC Radio’s Residency. To close it out, he gets our very own J.Rocc to do a special guest mix. Make sure you listen to this broadcast before it’s taken down. Enjoy the Future Vibes….

The Funky President J.Rocc has his very own radio show called “Adventures In Stereo”, every Sundays from 10pm-12am PST on KPFK 90.7FM in Los Angeles. This past Sunday (6.7.15), he had the legendary Egyptian Lover as his studio guest; J (along w/ Rhettmatic) were able to talk with him on early days of DJing, Uncle Jamm’s Army, & his new album “1984”….plus the West Coast Legend was able to get down live on the mix as well gettin busy on the Roland TR-808. Peep out the goodness!

If you’re partying on a Sunday in LA over the summer, chances are you’re at the Do-Over. You might even be lucky enough to see our very ownJ Rocc the Funky President, laying down the vibes. We were there last weekend and recorded the whole thing, hosted by the man himself Mad Skillz. Shout outs to our good friends Haycock, Strong, & Aloe Blacc as well as Serato, Adidas, & Red Bull. Make sure to check out the Do-Over during the summer:

The Beat Junkies present:Soundcheck
Broadcasting Live from Los Angeles 7-10PM Every 2nd & 4th Tuesdays Of The Month On The Beat Junkie Radio channel
Exclusively on Dash Radio.
Download the Dash Radio App for free or listen to us on the web: www.dashradio.com.

The Funky President just posted up the new episode of his radio show “Adventures In Stereo”, every Sunday nights from 10pm-12am PST on KPFK 90.7FM. This past Sunday (5.10.15), J.Rocc brought in his fellow Beat Junkie & Dynamic Duo partner Rhettmatic to do a special set, being it was his birthday that night. Peep the goodness as they play everything that they think is dope….As J.Rocc would say, “We are not here to play classics, we’re here to make them….”

As you may know already, the Beat Junkies have their own Radio Station on Dash Radio….but what you may not know is that the Funky President has his own show….well 2 to be exact. If you listen to Beat Junkie Radio, you would know that J.Rocc has the “Praise Be” show on Sunday Mornings playing Gospel on the funk/dance/boogie tip.

The one you’re about to listen to is his official show on 90.7FM KPFK in Los Angeles every Sundays from 10pm-12am called “Adventures In Stereo”. You can also listen on www.kpfk.org. This is where J gets busy & plays everything…and we mean EVERYTHING!! This is not your typical Hip Hop Radio Show….this is for the open minded music lovers.

Peep out the 3rd episode below featuring Belgium’s Finest…Dj Lefto! And remember to peep out Adventures In Stereo every Sundays on KPFK.

This past Sunday, the Funky President was a special guest on Dan Digs‘ “Leftfield Beats” show on Dash Radio.

“This week we welcomed legendary DJ and founder of the Beat Junkies J. Rocc to the studio to take us through the #SixSongScenario, where artists, DJs, and music aficionados tell the story behind their favorite tracks and explain what these songs mean to them.

We talked about finding weird Russian new wave while digging the crates in northern Europe, hearing Dr. Dre spin on seminal LA hip-hop station KDAY back in 1985, how Prince always had the illest beats, flipping a sample until it’s unrecognizable, Pete Rock sending him beat recordings at seven in the morning, and the life and times of J Dilla.”

If you have been following what we’ve been doing, you know that we started our very own Radio Station channel at Dash Radio….Beat Junkie Radio! We also have our very own show called Soundcheck, that we do live every 2nd & 4th Tuesdays of each month from 7-10PM. We launched our first show on February 10th with special guests Dilated Peoples, MED, & LMNO.

People have been requesting for the first episode, so here it is! Enjoy the show & make sure you tune in to Beat Junkie Radio, exclusively on Dash.

If you have been following what we’ve been doing, you know that we started our very own Radio Station channel at Dash Radio….Beat Junkie Radio! We also have our very own show called Soundcheck, that we do live every 2nd & 4th Tuesdays of each month from 7-10PM. We launched our first show on February 10th with special guests Dilated Peoples, MED, & LMNO.

This past Tuesday, March 10th, we did our 2nd show with special guests Elzhi & Tuxedo aka Mayer Hawthorne & Jake One. We posted up this week’s show on our soundcloud page. Now you’re wondering “What about the 1st episode?”. We’ll post that up soon but we wanted to flip it & post up the 2nd episode first. Enjoy the show & make sure you tune in to Beat Junkie Radio, exclusively on Dash.

Even though I posted this particular sound bit on my Soundcloud page 2 years ago, I thought it would be appropriate to post this up on our official website. Here’s a blurb that I wrote for the post that describes our first official venture into the radio airwaves in the 9o’s….

Peace Everyone,

Just recently while doing some cleaning in my home studio, I found a bunch of old cassette tapes which were the aircheck tapes of the Beat Junkie Hour……This is an old recording of an episode of the Beat Junkie Hour Radio Show on KWIZ 96.7FM back in 1993/94. KWIZ was a type of station that you had to pay to play on the air, and at that time, it was $200 or $300 for an hour slot. Even though there was alot of us, we really didn’t have the money to always pay for it, so we would get some sponsors to help us pay for our airtime (as you will notice with some of our “commercials”. LOL!)…..As you can also tell from the recording, we were pretty young, too excited to be on the airwaves, and horrible on the mic, but we were playing alot of the classic underground as well as breaking some new music from the West Coast; we were the first ones to play the Nonce, Ras Kass, and Dilated Peoples when they were known as the Fatliners. This is about the same time when the Baka Boyz first came to LA and started working at LA’s Power 106.

Around this time, the crew was starting to grow, as well as starting to make a reputation in the Dj Battle circuit like DMC & the Rap Sheet Battles….also a little tidbit of information; we had 3 short-lived members in the Beat Junkies at that time: Special J, Dj Sweet Pea (now know as the producer Paul Poli, who produced such hits for the Black Eyed Peas. Christine Millian, & Ashanti), & Dj Rectangle….yes, THAT Dj Rectangle! And this is before Babu & Mr. Choc became official members of the Beat Junkies….officially, there are 13 members in the Beat Junkies.

On this particular episode, you actually get to hear Beat Junkie members that you may or may not be familiar with: Dj Curse, Tommy Gun, & Dj Sweet Pea, as well as J & myself in the mix and the mic. We also shout out other members like Shortkut, D-Styles, Melo-D, Icy Ice, Symphony, Havik, & What?! Most of the time, when you listen to the show, we mostly be cracking jokes on each other, do alot of shoutouts, try to pick up on chicks on the phone, or even hanging up on them….but you can tell we were having fun.

While transfering this from casette to Pro Tools, listening to these tapes reminded me of how young and carefree we were back then; i also cringed at how we sound on the mic (i must’ve said “yknow what im sayin” at least 20 times) as well as my mixes. J always kills it, even back then….boy, have times changed…LOL!!

I’ll try to upload more recordings of the the show later down the line….I’m still going thru tapes and transfering onto protools. Anyways, here’s a little piece of Beat Junkie History for you to experience…..enjoy!